Peterborough College Students Rebrand Local Crime-Fighting Initiative

In a unique collaboration, Cambridgeshire Constabulary partnered with Peterborough College to develop a new brand identity for their “Clear, Hold, Build” project, an initiative aimed at tackling organised crime within the community. The project resulted in a powerful new name – “Alliance” – and a symbolic logo designed by Max Pogson, a talented second-year Graphic Design student.

“Honestly, this collaboration with the Constabulary was a dream come true for our students,” says Georgina Wise, Graphic Design lecturer at Peterborough College. “We’re always looking for ways to connect our students with real-world projects, and working on a local initiative that tackles a serious issue like organised crime was a fantastic opportunity. These are second-year students, so while they have a solid foundation in logo design, a project of this scale could be daunting. But they surprised us all! The quick turnaround time we needed wasn’t a problem at all. They embraced the challenge wholeheartedly and dove straight in.

“The results were phenomenal – every design we received was thoughtful, well-considered, and demonstrated a clear understanding of the project’s goals. It reinforces what I always tell my students: ‘There’s nothing quite like the pressure and motivation of a real-world brief to push them to their creative best.’ To help them channel their enthusiasm effectively, I recommended bringing in Lyndsey to provide a comprehensive brief that outlined the project’s specific needs and target audience. It proved to be a fantastic decision – the brief gave them a clear direction while still allowing them plenty of creative space to explore their ideas.”

Max, the student whose design was chosen, explains the inspiration behind his concept:

“From the beginning, I felt ‘Alliance’ perfectly captured the essence of the Clear, Hold, Build project. It’s more than just a name; it’s a powerful word that embodies the entire spirit of what they’re trying to achieve – a united front against crime within the community. That’s why I focused on building a tagline around that concept. Instead of starting from scratch, I wanted to build upon the existing strength of ‘Alliance’ and create a message that would resonate moving forward. It felt right for the initiative, and I truly believe it carries a lot of weight.

“The logo design itself stemmed from this core idea of unity. The different colours represent the diverse makeup of the community, emphasising how everyone needs to come together and work as one. It’s not about exclusion; it’s about inclusivity, about everyone playing a part. That’s why I went with the interlocking design – like a chain, it symbolises the community bonding together towards a common goal.”

Inspector Lyndsay Mylchreest from Cambridgeshire Constabulary expressed their satisfaction with the collaboration. “The Constabulary was deeply invested in tackling organised crime within Peterborough communities through the Clear, Hold, Build project. However, we all felt ‘Clear, Hold, Build’ itself wasn’t quite capturing the essence of our mission. It needed a rebrand, something that resonated more deeply with the very communities we were striving to protect. Thankfully, through conversations with local leaders, we were pointed towards Peterborough College, a place renowned for its professional approach. Reaching out to Georgie there was a stroke of luck – their responsiveness and the speed with which they turned things around were truly impressive.

“The College itself saw this as a fantastic opportunity, not just for the Constabulary and the project, but for their second-year graphic design students. They dove headfirst into the project, and within a short timeframe, presented us with a staggering 26 thoughtful designs, each one unique and thought-provoking.

“Working alongside the shortlisted designs and gathering valuable feedback from our partners, a clear frontrunner emerged: ‘Alliance.’ It resonated beautifully with our project’s goals, and the interlocking logo design perfectly symbolised the idea of a unified community working together against a common threat.

“The entire collaboration, from that initial contact with Georgie to the ongoing support from the students, was nothing short of fantastic. The college staff’s professionalism was exemplary, and the students themselves were incredibly accommodating and unfazed by the real-world nature of the project. This positive experience opened doors for further collaboration, allowing us not only to support these talented students but also to engage in even more community initiatives.”